<< <i>I never said this was my situation. I set up a hypothetical to determine how one would go about making $ quick and was curious as to how it's been done. I never said one could live for 3 months on 1K >>
That's like someone asking "hypothetically, what is the best way for me to make $5 000 over the next three months." There are thousands of ways to do that (fill out and application at McDonald's and you're almost there). There are hundreds, it not thousands of different ways to sell baseball cards that can net $60 a week. Like every money making venture since the begining of human history, what matters is where your knowledge and skill set lies and how much time you care to spend
If it is something you actually want to do, start practicing today, and very shortly you will know exactly how to make extra beer money
<< <i>I don't divulge how I make money in the hobby. Figure it out yourself. >>
Way to go Ron. Let him get screwed like we did. These guys looking for free advice..... I made more money in the stock market. Over the decades and yes I mean decades.... I have had my ass handed to me so many times in this "hobby" I lost count. chaz
If you're good with people and are comfortable negotiating, you could always try going to decent sized shows and either buying out or buying in large quantities from the fly by night dealers who sometimes attend these shows. This probably won't work too well with the real pro's, since they have shows scheduled throughout the country and aren't in a rush to dispose of their inventory. The 'newbie' dealers usually aren't very hard to spot, and if you've been to your area shows then you know who the regular dealers are anyway.
I've never tried to buy out a dealer, but I have gotten my best deals from that type of "dealer."
Just make sure you have a pretty good idea of the value of what you're buying and leave room for a good margin since selling the cards will involve a lot of labor.
Jhustle1 is a seller on ebay who supposedly follows that business model. He's always selling off big lots and singles, and he claims he buys out dealer overstock.
Mint is not posting as a newbie collector looking for information on how to collect cards. Mint is posting because he sees big money in cards and thinks it's an easy way to make money because it will sure beat working for a living.
As Mint said himself, "And a big SCREW YOU to everyone else--I will conquer the card world with or without your advice.
The only problem is his questions show a lack of common sense, business skills, and most importantly not a whole lot of knowledge about the product he wants to use to make money. What kind of cards to buy, where to buy them from, and how to sell them to make money are all naturally acquired talents which aren't acquired by asking for other people's how to make money recipes on a message board. You either have a knack for this or you don't. You have to trust and rely on the skills you develop yourself, or you will fail when you try to simply copy what you see others are doing. The people suggesting you get a real job sense where this little experiment is headed for you.
Mintacular, You mentioned you only need to make 25K a year for now. With that very low goal you won't make it. You have to have very high goals if you are going to make it in business and in life. I ran a good sized business for many years and helped many small mail order / internet business get started when they were new. Most of those places had great ideas and were in niche markets, but most of them never made it. The low percentage that made it had high goals and dedicated their entire time to getting their business's started. You need to run your hobby as a business. Account for all of your money and reinvest it.
Your entering a hobby with lots of sharp collectors who spend all day looking for cards and collections and many of them have lots of capital.
If you ever plan on having a successful business you need to spend money to make money. If you plan on getting married, and having a family, you need to start off with no debts and money put away.
Well, I understand the sentiment of "figure it out yourself" and do not expect some to divulge top secret advice (for obvious reasons). I'm sure there are some veterans who "took their lumps" and feel I should do the same and I do not begrudge them for taking that stance.
I tried in the OT to pose the question in a general form and was not expecting advice like "Search for Mickey Mantel" as those little nuggets (we all have them) is better left kept closer to the vest.
<< <i>Mint is posting because he sees big money in cards and thinks it's an easy way to make money because it will sure beat working for a living. >>
This is just flat out wrong. To be profitable in this industry is damn near impossible and I am fully aware of that. As for beating work for a living--I don't think starting a business in a hobby I am passionate about should be looked down upon. I have no illusions that to make it work I would need to spend 12-18HRS a day for the numbers to work out, and even then so, there are no guarantees.
<< <i>Hold fast to dreams/For if dreams die/Life is a broken-winged bird/That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams/for if dreams go/Life is a barren field/Frozen with snow.” >>
I say it can be done because I can do it...but only after years of ups and downs....but there's no substitute for paying your dues and losing your shirt a few times before you realize the right and wrong way to do it.
I think minty is trying to get pointers and shortcuts to what might work.....nothing wrong with asking...and there have been some good advice given here, but the best way to do it is to try a few things (maybe on advice given here or from others) and see how it works for you. I got some pointers in the early days, some of it worked ok, some didn't.
My opinion is that busting wax is a fool's game - its a blast, and i love it, but its rare to make any money at it. I do it for fun, but the risk/reward isn't worth it for me, but thats just me.
The best advice is to become very knowledgeable and then try to stumble into how to find product below cost and sell it above cost. I don't think there's any obvious magic bullet or else we'd all be doing it.
Finally, regarding all these minty threads, they always have nearly the highest view and response counts, so they obviously provoke thought. If no one responded to them, they would quickly vanish, so it seems pointless to respond just to flame the guy....at least pointless to respond more than once.
Thank you Jim-response appreciated. Brian--I always shoot for the stars but am realistic in my first year or two more than 25K is unrealistic. Andrew Carnegie did not become a Steel Magnate overnight, it takes time and that's where I am right now.
I understand that I don't have the $ and knowledge to sweep in and take the cake (today). My low estimate of 25K was in response to someone accusing me of using the hobby b/c I think is an easy, quick buck...
One of my motivations is to take down a dealer in NC who does quite well but admitted he "doesn't even like baseball cards." When it is all said and done, my goal is to buy him out and send him into early retirement
In all seriousness , im not sure 5 grand is enough to start with . When it comes to profits and selling 5 grand really doesnt go along way . Now that being said it really all depends on what you want to invest in . Modern or vintage , or a little of both. Opening modern products can get you the quick profits but only if you pull the "Hot" cards . its a crap shoot. Vintage can be profitable as well but not good for quick profits.
I suppose the way i would try to go about it would be to start slow and if it starts to work keep going and see where it gets you. Good Luck
A collector of all things Braves Always looking for Chipper Jones cards. Im a very focused collector of cards from 1909 - 2012...LOL
Hard question - but, since you're putting a time constraint on this thing - failure is a possibility.
I like the idea of buying a really nice set and breaking it up - sell off the keys and semi stars and perhaps putting the rest in lots. But in this climate - perhaps all bets are off?
Comments
<< <i>I never said this was my situation. I set up a hypothetical to determine how one would go about making $ quick and was curious as to how it's been done. I never said one could live for 3 months on 1K >>
That's like someone asking "hypothetically, what is the best way for me to make $5 000 over the next three months." There are thousands of ways to do that (fill out and application at McDonald's and you're almost there). There are hundreds, it not thousands of different ways to sell baseball cards that can net $60 a week. Like every money making venture since the begining of human history, what matters is where your knowledge and skill set lies and how much time you care to spend
If it is something you actually want to do, start practicing today, and very shortly you will know exactly how to make extra beer money
Maybe it would be best for those that become antagonized to skip certain threads?
Steve
<< <i>I don't divulge how I make money in the hobby. Figure it out yourself. >>
Way to go Ron. Let him get screwed like we did. These guys looking for free advice..... I made more money in the stock market. Over the decades and yes I mean decades.... I have had my ass handed to me so many times in this "hobby" I lost count. chaz
I've never tried to buy out a dealer, but I have gotten my best deals from that type of "dealer."
Just make sure you have a pretty good idea of the value of what you're buying and leave room for a good margin since selling the cards will involve a lot of labor.
Jhustle1 is a seller on ebay who supposedly follows that business model. He's always selling off big lots and singles, and he claims he buys out dealer overstock.
Mint is posting because he sees big money in cards and thinks it's an easy way to make money because it will sure beat working for a living.
As Mint said himself, "And a big SCREW YOU to everyone else--I will conquer the card world with or without your advice.
The only problem is his questions show a lack of common sense, business skills, and most importantly not a whole lot of knowledge about the product he wants to use to make money. What kind of cards to buy, where to buy them from, and how to sell them to make money are all naturally acquired talents which aren't acquired by asking for other people's how to make money recipes on a message board. You either have a knack for this or you don't. You have to trust and rely on the skills you develop yourself, or you will fail when you try to simply copy what you see others are doing. The people suggesting you get a real job sense where this little experiment is headed for you.
Your entering a hobby with lots of sharp collectors who spend all day looking for cards and collections and many of them have lots of capital.
If you ever plan on having a successful business you need to spend money to make money. If you plan on getting married, and having a family, you need to start off with no debts and money put away.
Brian
I tried in the OT to pose the question in a general form and was not expecting advice like "Search for Mickey Mantel" as those little nuggets (we all have them) is better left kept closer to the vest.
<< <i>Mint is posting because he sees big money in cards and thinks it's an easy way to make money because it will sure beat working for a living. >>
This is just flat out wrong. To be profitable in this industry is damn near impossible and I am fully aware of that. As for beating work for a living--I don't think starting a business in a hobby I am passionate about should be looked down upon. I have no illusions that to make it work I would need to spend 12-18HRS a day for the numbers to work out, and even then so, there are no guarantees.
<< <i>Hold fast to dreams/For if dreams die/Life is a broken-winged bird/That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams/for if dreams go/Life is a barren field/Frozen with snow.” >>
--Langston Hughes
I say it can be done because I can do it...but only after years of ups and downs....but there's no substitute for paying your dues and losing your shirt a few times before you realize the right and wrong way to do it.
I think minty is trying to get pointers and shortcuts to what might work.....nothing wrong with asking...and there have been some good advice given here, but the best way to do it is to try a few things (maybe on advice given here or from others) and see how it works for you. I got some pointers in the early days, some of it worked ok, some didn't.
My opinion is that busting wax is a fool's game - its a blast, and i love it, but its rare to make any money at it. I do it for fun, but the risk/reward isn't worth it for me, but thats just me.
The best advice is to become very knowledgeable and then try to stumble into how to find product below cost and sell it above cost. I don't think there's any obvious magic bullet or else we'd all be doing it.
Finally, regarding all these minty threads, they always have nearly the highest view and response counts, so they obviously provoke thought. If no one responded to them, they would quickly vanish, so it seems pointless to respond just to flame the guy....at least pointless to respond more than once.
Peace,
Jim
Topps Heritage - Trade Page
I understand that I don't have the $ and knowledge to sweep in and take the cake (today). My low estimate of 25K was in response to someone accusing me of using the hobby b/c I think is an easy, quick buck...
One of my motivations is to take down a dealer in NC who does quite well but admitted he "doesn't even like baseball cards." When it is all said and done, my goal is to buy him out and send him into early retirement
said it really all depends on what you want to invest in . Modern or vintage , or a little of both. Opening modern products can get you the quick profits but
only if you pull the "Hot" cards . its a crap shoot. Vintage can be profitable as well but not good for quick profits.
I suppose the way i would try to go about it would be to start slow and if it starts to work keep going and see where it gets you. Good Luck
Always looking for Chipper Jones cards.
Im a very focused collector of cards from 1909 - 2012...LOL
I like the idea of buying a really nice set and breaking it up - sell off the keys and semi stars and perhaps putting the rest in lots. But in this climate - perhaps all bets are off?
Anyway - good luck
mike